Raising Maximus
by Animation Universe 2005
Summary: What if Maximus was better off raised by Akashi and the two of them shared a bond that went way beyond being friends? This is dedicated to The Master of Stories and I hope ya'll enjoy!
1. First Meeting

Here's my new fic that stars Max and Akashi! This has been in my mind since 2014 started and I thought that this would make a great addition for the Max/Akashi fics. Like...what if Akashi raised Max as a brother, friend and father figure at the same time and Akashi ends up learning something from Max. This is dedicated to The Master of Stories and I was inspired by one of this fics, 'A Dark Past' and I hope I did it justice! Enjoy!

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Raising Maximus

by: Terrell James

Chapter 1: First Meeting

One cloudy evening somewhere in some parts of China, a young white wolf was walking around the forest to make his way back home and he seemed a little troubled while he was walking by and a lot of things were on his mind and he just didn't know what to do to handle this or even deal with those feelings too, but it just affected him deeply over what happened in his past. Yet despite all of this, he just wanted to move forward with his life and embrace his new life after everything he's been through.

He heard the sounds of thunder across the skies and looks up to see that it's about to rain soon and just puts on his hood and proceeded to head home and not more than a few seconds later, his ears perked up something and it was the sound of someone screaming and crying and he quickly went over to see what it was and what he saw completely left him devastated and outraged.

He witnessed one white tiger dragging her son on the ground while the young one was screaming and crying and begging her to let him go and promising her that he'll try to do better and her response was that she snapped and ended up getting clawed by her and pushed down on the ground and the wolf was totally disturbed by what he just saw.

"Did she do that to her own cub?" the wolf whispered, in disbelief.

"I've had enough of you, Maximus! You're a waste of time, space, energy and life and I wished I never gave birth to you!" the mother shouted.

As the wolf listens to everything she's saying, part of him wants to go out there and unleash his daemon powers on her and break out his sword to show her who's boss and defend the cub, but he held himself back because he wouldn't want to scare the cub and cause any psychological damage. Yet, he still doesn't like hearing everything and seeing everything between these two tigers.

"Mama, please! I'll try to do better! I promise!" Maximus cried.

The mother had definitely reached her wit's end and she snarls and roars directly at his face, blaming him for every unfortunate thing she's been through in her life and goes as far as spitting out that she has no regrets on molesting him and that part completely angered the wolf more because it was the most disturbing thing he's ever heard to take advantage of a little boy like that.

But nothing prepared him for what she was gonna do next; she shoved him down towards the ground and watched him roll down until he hits the ground and she just stood there with a cold and evil look like she's enjoying this and just walked away with her saying, "I wish that little brat would die. That would be the best day of my life."

Soon after she left, the wolf immediately went out of his way to go to that hill to get the little cub and the rain has already started pouring down on his fur, but he didn't really care as his focus was only on the cub and when he looked at him, he can tell that he was being beaten really bad and just didn't want him to live in suffering and fear.

Before he could get to him, a group of different wolves surrounded the cub and they were looking at him like he was their torture toy and one of them started looking at the cub and sniffed him and said, "Looks good, boys."

"Yeah, he'll definitely be our dinner tonight!" another wolf said, licking his lips.

The young wolf hid from behind a tree and overheard everything they were saying to the cub and he's super glad he's not one of them, but he's not gonna let them harm this boy and he brought in his sword and almost immediately, he comes charging at them and all the other savage wolves looked at him and the lead wolf asked, "Who are you?"

"They call me Akashi."

"Ain't you one of our kind?" another wolf asked.

Akashi growled in response to that and said, "In the same species, but not in your pack. Now...leave the cub alone."

"You can't tell us what to do." the lead wolf stated, with a snarl.

Akashi lowered his eyebrows and lets the other wolves know that he means business and he walked towards the cub and shielded him from them and one of the wolves said, "Move, man. He's our dinner."

"Get out...or you'll be dinner yourselves!" Akashi shouted.

The lead wolf was definitely looking for a fight and he was gonna lay the first punch on Akashi, but Akashi grabbed him by the paw and just punched, kicked and slammed him down hard and all the other wolves were ready to fight back, but Akashi was ready. He brought out his sword to attack them and he ended up taking up all of these wolves in a short amount of time.

Meanwhile, Maximus was crouched down, feeling completely scared of what will happen and then...one of the savage wolves came at him to torture him and knocked him out and he was ready for the final showdown...when he got stabbed in the back and laid down on the ground, lifeless in a pool of blood.

Akashi panted heavily as he took the bloody sword out of him and saw the cub laid there and he picked him up and took him home with him as it was raining hard. He grabbed his coat and placed it on him so he wouldn't get sick and headed straight for home.

Meanwhile...all the other savage wolves saw what had happened and the lead wolf walked over to their slain member's body and anger was coursing through his mind and said, "That young wolf...is gonna pay for this."

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Intense, wasn't it? Stick around for more!


	2. Safe and Sound

And we see Max in a totally different place...safe from the cruel world that he had just came out of.

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Chapter 2: Safe and Sound

Sometime later...

Maximus slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a totally different place and he heard the sounds of the rain pattering around the roof and he sits up and looks around to see he's at someone's house...and on someone else's bed and sees himself wrapped in bandages and stuff and wondered how he got there and who took him there.

Suddenly, his ears perked up as he heard some footprints come in and he was still a little bit afraid that someone's coming to get him and by the time he saw Akashi, he was more frightened than ever and Akashi came this way towards him and Max said, "Please don't hurt me."

Akashi reaches his paw out and just rubbed the cub's head softly and soon enough, he looks at this wolf in the eye and notices that he's not like the other ones he came across earlier and he asked, "Did you...bring me here?"

"Yeah, I did. And I see you're okay." Akashi replied.

"Why?" asked Max.

Akashi let out a deep sigh and wasn't exactly sure how to explain this to a young cub, but he could at least bring in a reason why he did so and he said, "I just couldn't believe that someone would do something like that to you. I just had to save you from these monstrous wolves before they could hurt you."

"But...you're a wolf." Max stated.

Akashi couldn't argue with that logic and he nodded his head and said, "Yeah, I'm a wolf...but I'm not one of them. I never could be."

"I always thought wolves are scary and mean. At least...that's what my mom said." Max said, flattening his ears.

It was heartbreaking to see this kid suffer so much and for Akashi, it just brought him back to himself in a different way, yet similar to all the suffering he's endured and that just made him feel like he's not the only one and Max asked, "My mom's not coming back, isn't she?"

Yet another question that was hard to answer and he knew he saw everything he had witnessed between Maximus and his mother and there were a few minutes of silence in between them, but Max didn't need a response and he said, "I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want me anymore. Why did she even have me?"

The look on Max's eyes completely broke Akashi's heart when he saw the cub's eyes getting all misty-eyed and he just had to hold him and Max was a little afraid of getting touched, but when he found that the wolf was actually hugging him instead of hurting him, Max closed his eyes and hugged him back as well.

"Don't worry. You're safe now. I promise you...that I won't let anyone hurt you or leave you behind." Akashi whispered.

"You promise?" asked Max.

"I promise." Akashi replied.

They let go for a second and Max looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Akashi. What's yours?" asked Akashi.

"Maximus."

Akashi smiled at this and he blinked his eyes for a few seconds and said, "How about I call you 'Max' for short?"

"Okay." Max replied.

With that, Max laid back down to sleep a little bit and Akashi could tell that he's got a huge responsibility to look after him after the cub's mother left him and someone has to raise the cub somehow and it might as well be him...and maybe they can learn a few things about each other like never before and he thought to himself, 'You'll never be alone, Max...not when I'm here.'

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It's a start of an amazing relationship! Stay tuned for more!


	3. About the New Guest

Akashi gives a little info about the person he just rescued to both Miyo and Saori.

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Chapter 3: About the New Guest

A few minutes went by and Akashi walked downstairs to the living room where he sees his girlfriend sitting there and she looked at him and asked, "So...who was it?"

"It was a little white tiger cub." Akashi replied.

Saori's ears perked up for a second after hearing there's another one of her kind besides herself and said, "Like me?"

Akashi looked at his tiger sister and then he came to her, got down on her level and replied, "Yeah, like you, sis."

"Can I see him?" asked Saori.

Akashi rubbed his sister's head and lets out a small chuckle and said, "Maybe later. Right now, he just needs to rest a little bit."

Saori's ears flattened a little bit and she was really wanting to meet the young cub and she replied, "Okay."

"So...this cub, where did you find it?"

"It's kind of a long story, Miyo. Let's just say I found him after his mother left him behind." Akashi replied.

Miyo gasped in shock after hearing that answer and she felt really sorrowful to the cub and a little upset knowing that the mother abandoned him and she couldn't even imagine how that would affect him and he said, "Oh, the poor thing."

"So...why'd you bring him here?" asked Saori.

Akashi clears his throat and sat down next to both Miyo and Saori and answered, "Since his mom abandoned him, I figured someone's gonna raise him and keep him from harm and just be protected."

"What are you saying exactly?" asked Miyo.

Akashi lets out a deep sigh and replied, "I'm gonna raise the cub and treat him as if he's my own son."

"You'd really do that?" asked Saori.

Akashi nodded his head and he's really willing to take Max in and make sure he's protected and loved as well as letting him grow up to be a good person like a warrior and Akashi said, "I'm willing to do everything I can for him and give Max something I've never had."

Miyo placed her paw on Akashi's shoulder and said, "I'll help you."

"You don't have to do that, you know." Akashi added.

"Oh, but I want to. Maybe this will give us a stepping stone into what it'll be like raising a family of our own someday." Miyo answered back.

Akashi had his doubts already crawling in his mind, but he knew for a fact that the cub needs a father figure in his life, but can maintain himself as a best friend and big brother at the same time, giving his personality as somewhat of a lazy wolf and he said, "All right."

"I can help too." Saori stated.

"All right, sis. You can help too." Akashi said, with a smile.

Miyo smiled at this and she also stated, "I think you still got some growing up to do, Akashi. If you wanna be a father, you have to be a little mature."

Akashi scoffed in response and said, "Miyo...do you know me? I'm 17 years old. I'm still bound to be a kid somehow. I can also be his big brother and friend. There's a difference."

"Yeah, you got a point. But still..." Miyo stated.

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Stick around if you wanna see more!


	4. New Member

And on the first night, Akashi gives Max a chance to be part of the family.

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Chapter 4: New Member

Several hours have passed by since Akashi brought Max in their home and he took it upon himself to see how Max is doing and when he entered in his room, he sees the little white tiger cub still sleeping and he just couldn't help himself but feel his heart melting when he sees Max sleep like this in a safe place and it's like he wished that he would be his little brother. He silently comes in the room and sits on the edge of the bed and just sat there for a few minutes.

Max turned around and he opened his eyes and saw Akashi sitting there and he sat up for a second and tapped him on the shoulder, which made Akashi turn around and ask, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess." Max replied.

Akashi nodded in response and he said to him, "Listen, Max...you can live here with us."

Max was a little surprised to hear that coming from Akashi and he's only been there for a few hours and already, he's been giving an offer to live with them and he asked, "I can?"

"Yeah." Akashi answered.

"You sure you want me around?" asked Max.

"Of course. I just hope that you'll be safe and protected here right us and hopefully...help you out in anyway I can." Akashi answered.

Max blinked his eyes a few times and got a little worried and asked, "I just hope you won't get rid of me."

"Absolutely never. You and me will have an awesome time together and I just want to be a good big brother and maybe a good father to you." Akashi stated.

Max immediate response was coming to Akashi on all fours and nuzzle him while he's purring and the sound of him purring was something he was used to because he's around felines all the time and Akashi patted him softly and thought to himself, 'I just hope I'll be good enough to make sure he's all right...so he won't turn out like I was.'

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You'll find out about that part very later on. Stay tuned!


	5. Painful Memories

And we see something haunting Akashi in his sleep.

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Chapter 5: Painful Memories

During the night, Akashi was asleep on his bed and during that time, he was tossing and turning around in his sleep as he hears the sounds of his past surrounding his head and it's something that could never be left behind, no matter how many times he's tried to get over it, but it always keeps coming back to haunt him.

Akashi kept moaning and panting heavily as it overtakes him and the more he tries to forget about it, it doesn't go away so easily and it was like his past just breaks him down mentally and he's almost losing a huge amount of sleep over this.

"What do you want? Just leave me alone..." Akashi groaned.

He swiped his paws in the air like he wants to fight this, but it felt like he was forced on being sucked back into his dark life in a sense than can never go away.

'You can't get out of there...'

The haunting sounds of his stepfather continues to torment him deeply and it was like his guilty conscience got stronger and it couldn't be controlled or stopped in any way like Akashi was gonna be doomed with all the stuff he used to do for the rest of his life and will never get out of it.

Soon enough...

Akashi was in a nightmare where it shows all of the stuff he had been through was being viewed and it all shoved him back into his face ten times harder and as he witnessed looking back at everything he's done and also being tormented and beaten by Dotsu everyday. Those parts always deeply left a mark on Akashi and he has never felt so low in his life.

'You see? For everything I put you through...those scars are a reminder of what you are and always will be...a daemon.'

Akashi wanted to fight it and he covered his ears to stop hearing everything Dotsu is saying and said, "Just stop it! Leave me alone!"

'You can't protect your loved ones. Everyone will see you as a daemon...and that's all you'll ever be.'

Akashi got down on his knees as those words stung him deeply, but Akashi refused to let it get in his head and he just kept covering his ears and started screaming out loud as the dark space grows tighter and tighter...

Suddenly, Akashi wakes him up and sat up frantically, panting heavily as he looks around and sees that he's still on his bed and realizes that it was all just a dream...one that's just all too real for him and he laid his head back down on his pillow still awake and thinking about that dream and how his trying to redeem himself will be a challenge for him.

"What have I done to deserve that? How can I possibly say that I'm a warrior now?" Akashi asked.

Just then, Akashi's ears perked up something heading this way and before he knew it, he saw Max walking there and he asked, "What are you doing up?"

"I heard you scream." Max replied.

Akashi looked at Max and he could tell that the cub is a little concerned about him and he lets out a sigh and said, "I'm fine. You should go back to bed."

"Are you sure?" asked Max.

"Yeah." Akashi replied.

Then, Max was still standing there and he climbed onto the side of his bed and he told him, "I had a nightmare too."

That surprised Akashi the most after hearing that Max had a nightmare as well and he wasn't sure what to say, but he could tell that it was about his mother and he looked at the cub in the eye and asked, "You wanna stay here with me?"

"Uh-huh." Max replied.

Akashi scooted over to make room for Max, but the cub crawled towards his chest and curled himself there and it made Akashi smile a little and he rubbed his head a little bit and said, "Good night, Max."

"Good night, Akashi." Max said.

As Max was asleep, Akashi could tell that there's something special about this cub and he's not sure why...but he's actually glad that he's not alone now and he hopes that he'll do good in taking care of Max.

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Amazing, isn't it? If you guys want to know about Akashi's stepfather, read The Master of Stories' fics, 'dark apprentice', 'The Legend of Akashi', 'A Burning Soul' and 'A Dark Past' (one of which serves as the main inspiration behind this fic) Stay tuned for more!


	6. Meeting the Gang

And a very sweet family scene coming in.

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Chapter 6: Meeting the Gang

By the next morning, Akashi and Max were still asleep and the two were right beside each other like they couldn't be apart and while they were asleep, Miyo entered in the room to see of Akashi's up and to her surprise, she sees Akashi still sleeping and Max is there too. That literally warmed up her heart to see the little cub with Akashi and she lets out a smile as she gets on the edge of the bed and witnessed the cutest thing she's ever seen.

It would be wrong to wake them up and break up this moment together, but she has to wake Akashi up eventually and she kissed him on the forehead, causing him to wake up but turned to the other side and said, "Mom...just 5 minutes, please."

"Akashi."

Akashi buried his head under the pillow to ignore being waken up and Miyo lets out a deep sigh and just knew the one way to wake Akashi up...she slid her hand under his pillow and proceeded to tickle Akashi's ear and that was something he loved feeling and Akashi lets out a couple of sighs and groans at the same time and it kinda woke Max up a little as he sees this.

Suddenly, Miyo sees Max wide awake and stops a little bit and she said, "Hello."

"Hi." Max said, very shy.

Akashi's head finally got out of his pillow the minute he heard Max's voice and he gets himself up with a big yawn and said, "Good morning, little buddy."

"So...I finally get to meet this little cub. What's your name?" asked Miyo, sitting next to him.

"Maximus."

Miyo rubbed his head and tickled his chin and Max responded with a soft purr and she said, "You look so cute."

"Hey...how come you call him cute before me?" Akashi asked, in a playful pout.

She then turns to Akashi and kissed him on the lips four times and flutters her eyes and that was enough for Akashi and said, "There it is."

"Where did you come from, Maximus?" asked Miyo.

Max wasn't sure if he was gonna answer that question because it would be too painful for him to reveal and Akashi looked at Miyo and said, "I think it's best if we shouldn't bring it up."

Then, Miyo could see the reason behind it and she said, "Sorry I asked. I think he'll be safe here."

Just then, Saori comes in the room and hops on Akashi's bed and sees Max for the first time and both of their eyes were widened as they looked at each other and Saori said, "What's your name?"

"Maximus." Max replied.

"I'm Saori. You...you look kinda cute." Saori replied.

Max had no idea what she just said and asked, "I am?"

"Yes, you are." Saori said.

It kinda made Max blush a little bit and smile and Akashi could see that these two are like good friends and Saori asked Akashi, "Is he staying?"

"Yes, he's staying, sis." Akashi replied, smiling.

"YAY!" Saori cheered.

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Just so you know, Saori loves the fact that she's got a little brother in Max now. Stick around for more!


	7. Brother Father

And here's the results of what happened to Max when he was with his birth parents.

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Chapter 7: Brother Father

During the morning, Akashi was having breakfast with Miyo, Saori and Max and Miyo brought in a bowl of rice with milk and the minute that bowl was set in front of him, Akashi could not resist as he immediately ate it up and Miyo could tell that Akashi was gonna eat it all on one bowl and she said, "Settle down, Akashi."

"I can't help it if I love rice with milk. It's the best breakfast ever!" Akashi exclaimed.

"It's the only best breakfast ever." Miyo stated, rolling her eyes.

As Akashi was eating, Miyo heard Max's stomach growling and she turned to him and noticed that he looked a little hungry and she asked, "You must be hungry, aren't you?"

Max nodded his head in response to this and barely said any words and Miyo could tell that he was really shy and his stomach started growling louder, which surprised her and she got a little clsoer to him and asked, "Have you been fed?"

Max shook his head stating no, but responded with, "I'm barely hungry."

"Barely?" asked Miyo.

To show proof over this, Max unbuttoned his vest and to Miyo's shock, she saw half f his stomach filled with not only skin and bones, but also some bruises and burns and marks all over and she covered her mouth in utter shock and outrage over the physical toll Max had to deal with. She was shaking and trembling at the very sight of Max going through that and it definitely stunned Akashi when he saw a closer look too.

Akashi was speechless the second he saw Max's visible bones exposed closer to his flesh like he hasn't been fed in years and the scars, burns, claw marks and bruising he received and it just made him feel very furious on the inside and he asked, "Who did this to you?"

"I can't tell you." Max replied, a little fearfully.

The look on Max's face says it all; that it was his birth parents that were responsible for this kind of torment and the very thought of it just made Akashi disturbed and angry at the same time, but he placed all of that aside to make sure Max is gonna well-protected and he got down to his level and said, "Don't worry about it, Max. You'll be okay here."

"I'm gonna fix him some breakfast right away." Miyo stated.

Max got back to his seat and Miyo gave him a bowl of rice with milk as well as some egg rolls and dumplings to fill up Max and she hopes that it'll be enough to get him fed and Miyo encouraged him to try it out and eat some of them. The cub was a little reluctant to try them out because he's never seen any of those before, but he was willing to try a few of them and once he started with the egg roll, he was amazed by how it tasted.

"Yummy..." Max said.

Before long, he ate the rest of the egg rolls and then the rice with milk and the dumplings while Miyo, Saori and Akashi witnessed him filling up his stomach with food and he picks up the bowl with the milk leftover and drank it up, leaving him with a little milk drip out of his whiskers and Miyo giggled softly as it dripped to the bowl.

"So cute." Miyo said.

"I'll say." Saori stated.

Akashi playfully mussed Saori's hair and said, "You don't even know what cute means, Saori."

"Yes, I do." Saori exclaimed.

Soon after breakfast, Akashi spent a little bit of time with the 5 year old cub as he went outside with him to play a few games and it was all very new to Max because he has no idea what they are and he spent most of the day teaching the cub some games, like hide and seek, tag and other games. Akashi was hoping that he'd develop those games soon, but sure enough...the cub became a fast learner.

It surprised Akashi when he noticed that Max is learning that fast based on his speed and agility...all those abilities coming out of a 5 year old and as they were playing some games, Akashi couldn't believe how much fun he's having with Max and it was like things are starting to get really good for him.

Soon afterwards, Akashi realizes that there's a huge bond between the two of them and it's only less than 24 hours since he brought Max in his place and he felt an instant connection between the two of them and figures that there's something more than he thought before...

He sees Max as the little brother he never thought he would have.

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A family protective dynamic is imminent. So...whatever happened to those savage wolves that tried to get Max? You'll see them on the next chapter!


	8. Wolves' Revenge

And here's the savage wolves and it looks like they're not gonna let Max get away.

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Chapter 8: Wolves' Revenge

Further away from there, all the savage wolves came together to formulate a plan to get Max back and fight off Akashi and the lead wolf walked over in front of them and he was at his most angriest than he's ever been and the rest of the pack could tell that something's up. One of them said, "What's up, boss?"

"We were this close! This close as to making that little striped runt our slave! And out of nowhere...this stupid wolf had the common sense to take him away from us! That's breaking wolf code!" the lead wolf growled.

"Uh...when you said stupid, did you mean one of us?" asked another pack member.

"No. Not any of you guys. You're my stupid pack. It's that outsider with the fighting moves. He had absolutely no business to steal our dinner...and our slave!" the wolf leader exclaimed.

Most of the wolf pack were terrified by Akashi's fighting skills and they wouldn't risk going anywhere near them because they'd be killed as a result and another pack member said, "I don't know, boss. This dude looked like he meant business."

"So?! This guy is a pup! We're full-grown wolves! We can take him on and snatch the kid. Nobody owns him but us." the lead wolf snarled.

"How do we do that?" asked one pack member.

The lead wolf started thinking this over and then he came up with the most devious plan ever thought of and he said, "We'll find where this guy lives and whenever he gets a chance to leave...depending if someone else is there...we break in, convince him to open the door and snatch him out of there! That way, they'll never find him and he'll already be our property."

"Good plan! Very good plan, sir!" one pack member stated.

Most of the wolves agree with it and one of them asked, "But...what if that guy comes to get him?"

"Let him come. We've got something planned for him too." the lead wolf said, with a sinister chuckle.

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Sorry it was so short...but I have to make it a huge cliffhanger. Stay tuned!


	9. To Protect Max

And Akashi reveals his frustration about how Max's birth mother treated him that way.

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Chapter 9: To Protect Max

That afternoon, Max and Saori were playing hide and seek outside and while they were playing that game, Akashi and Miyo sat on the steps of the front of the house looking out for them and the fun that he had with Max prompted him to think about what he saw earlier that day about all the scars and burns he's gotten and how he wished that he'd do something about it sooner when he saw the cub's birth mother leaving him.

Miyo could tell that it's starting to bother Akashi a lot, which is very understandable...but for some reason, it started to make him more furious at any given moment and it concerned her a lot and she said, "What are you thinking now?"

Akashi lets out a deep sigh and replied, "Right now...it doesn't really matter what I think. I just can't believe that this mother would put him through this much pain. No cub deserves that."

"I agree. It's just horrible that his own mother would harm an innocent little boy." Miyo added.

"If only I would've gone after her and attacked her..." Akashi started, but got interrupted by Miyo.

"Are you saying what I think you're gonna say?" Miyo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Akashi was gonna finish the rest of the sentence, but eventually simmered down afterwards and took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. It's just...it's all too familiar to me because I've seen kids suffer a lot in the streets years ago and if I had told myself if I were to give up being a streetfighter, I'd help these kids out of their suffering to give them something better. I wanna make good on that promise right now so Max can't go through more suffering than I did."

"I know you wanna do that, Akashi...and I stand by that. But don't do something you know you'll regret." Miyo reminded him.

Akashi sighed deeply at this and said, "All right. I just want to protect Max, that's all."

"So do we. I think we should give him some time until he tells us why his mother abandoned him." Miyo added.

"That's just what I was thinking. Plus, you already know how I can find out so quickly." Akashi stated.

She already figured out that his aura will be the main factor of finding out about him that he'll know eventually and she said, "You and your aura. When do you not know what you'll think about?"

"I know what you're gonna think about next." Akashi added, giving her a sly smile.

Miyo's response was stomping his feet and Akashi lets out a yelp/whimper after getting his foot stomped and Akashi started rubbing on it to stop the stinging and Akashi whined and said, "That's just mean."

"Such a pervert." Miyo stated, shaking her head.

* * *

Well...that's pretty much that. But stay tuned for more!


	10. A Letter from Tigress

Of course...we're gonna bring Tigress in. Why wouldn't I?

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Chapter 10: A Letter from Tigress

Hours later, Akashi went out to get some fresh air and maybe do some meditation with no interruptions and he sat across the tree to do so and about a couple of minutes go by that he needed to focus on getting some time to himself with zero interruptions and it was only 30 minutes later that he heard a random flapping sound coming in and he lets out a deep sigh of annoyance that someone is actually trying to interrupt and said, "What now?"

He stands up and looks around to see who it was and to his surprise...it was Zeng, the Jade Palace messenger coming this way and landed directly to where he was and Akashi said, "Hey, Zeng. What brings you here?"

Zeng looks up at Akashi and panted heavily and replied, "You got a message from your stepmom."

Akashi was surprised to receive a message from Tigress and it was completely amazing to hear that because he hasn't heard from her in a long time and Zeng gave Akashi the letter, opens it and starts reading what she had written.

_Akashi, how are you doing? It has been a long time since you left the Jade Palace a few years ago. I'm writing you this letter to see how you've been and what have you been up to since everything that had happened after your final fight with Dotsu. I know it must've been difficult for you to move on, but I hope you find a sense of closure. I'm not saying this because I'm getting soft...which obviously I'm not. I'm just saying this because you're my son. And as a warrior. I'm taking some time to come over and visit you. I'm on my way to where you live so I should be there by tomorrow. Hope to see you, Saori and Miyo soon. Tigress_

_P.S.: I hope you behave yourself._

That was exciting for Akashi to see his stepmom again and it sent a huge amount of joy inside of him and he said, "Thanks, Zeng. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Zeng replied, before flying away.

As soon as Zeng left, Akashi couldn't wait to share the good news to Miyo and maybe Tigress can meet Max for the first time and that would be a great thing to see that neither Tigress or Saori are the only tigers around and it will be a great union.

* * *

We'll see what happens next up!


	11. The Journey

A little moment between Taiga and Tigress while making their journey to see Akashi.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Journey

The next day brings a lot of excitement and also anxiety when Tigress and Taiga began making their way to Akashi's place and it has been 2 years since they've last seen him and Tigress was hoping that he's been doing good so far and has behaved himself...yet he knows Akashi too well that at some point...he's still the most hard-headed, immature yet determined person she's ever dealt with before and it'll be a big factor to see if he's doing good since then.

Taiga was right beside her through the whole thing and he was deeply anxious and also excited to see Saori and see how she's doing and he's been looking forward to this moment for so long and he wished that Tigress can share that enthusiasm with him, but he can take what he can get and Tigress said, "I hope Akashi kept himself out of trouble."

"He probably could...but then again, it's Akashi. Trouble always follows him wherever he goes." Taiga responded.

Tigress nodded in agreement with that because Akashi has been known for getting himself in trouble a lot of times, especially when it comes to spying on girls a lot and she said, "Well...I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

Taiga nodded at that and he said, "I'm just excited to see Saori. Wonder how much she's grown."

"A lot, I bet." Tigress responded.

Both tigers continued walking their way, yet both of them were well aware of the attraction they have for one another, but couldn't bring themselves to admit it in different reasons. Taiga because he felt like she doesn't like him at all despite him having some feelings for her and Tigress because she does love him, but is afraid that he might not feel the same way and can be rejected.

"I think we're almost there." Taiga stated.

"I think so too." Tigress agreed.

* * *

The reunion is coming soon!


	12. Big Reunion?

And here's the reunion...that's completely not normal.

* * *

Chapter 12: Big Reunion...?

As the day continues on, Akashi was getting himself ready for Tigress' visit and he was a little dressed up and groomed up and Saori and Miyo were getting ready as well to prepare themselves for Tigress' visit and Saori was excited to see Taiga and the first thing she wanted to do is run towards him and give him a big hug and she tried to contain her joy, but it's very difficult to do so when she's so happy.

"Bet you're excited to see Taiga, huh?" asked Miyo.

Saori nodded her head in response and then said, "And Tigress as well. It's been so long."

Miyo understood her joy and excitement as well and she said, "Yes, it has. And I think we're all excited to meet them after a few years."

"I wouldn't wait to wait that long." Saori stated.

Just then, Akashi came downstairs and saw both Miyo and Saori and said, "You guys ready?"

"We are." Miyo answered.

Akashi could tell by Saori's big grin that she was excited to see Taiga and Tigress and he shared her enthusiasm with her and said, "I know someone is."

Both of them were laughing with each other and Saori said, "I'm looking forward to see my stepdaddy."

All three of them were excited to see Taiga and Tigress coming in for a visit and the excitement was imminent that it's gonna be the most rewarding feeling they ever had and as they got themselves ready, Miyo couldn't help but realize something. She tapped Akashi in the shoulder and asked, "Akashi...you think we should tell them about Max?"

Suddenly, Akashi froze for a second and he completely forgot the fact that Max has been taken in and he said, "Oh, that's right. Where is he now?"

"He's taking a nap in our room." Miyo replied.

"Should I wake him up?" asked Saori.

But they would have no time to wake Max up because Akashi looked up at the window and they saw Tigress and Taiga heading towards the house and he responded, "I think that'll have to wait. Right now, they're here."

Saori got super excited the minute she saw them and she just ran out of the door to see them and Taiga looks over and sees Saori running to him and she immediately tackled him to the ground and Taiga started laughing and hugged Saori tightly and he said, "How are you?"

"I'm so happy now that you're here." Saori replied.

"Glad to see you too, Saori. We have missed you so much." Taiga responded.

After that, she saw Tigress and walked over to her and hugged her leg and said, "Hi, mama."

"Hello, Saori." Tigress replied, looking a little uncomfortable.

Akashi and Miyo stepped out of the house and greeted themselves as they were saying hello and they all came into the house as they began talking and catching up with each other...completely unaware that Max was already awake and curious to know what's going on.

* * *

You won't believe what will happen the minute they meet Max for the first time!


	13. Who is This Cub?

And the curiosity reached it's unusual and scary point.

* * *

Chapter 13: Who is This Cub?

After settling in, Saori sat between Akashi and Taiga and she couldn't resist sitting on her stepfather's lap and that made Taiga smile and warm up even more and she said, "I've missed you, baba."

"I missed you too, Saori." Taiga replied, nuzzling his stepdaughter.

Saori then looked at Tigress and she came towards her and said, "Did you miss me?"

"Yes, I did miss you." Tigress replied.

Akashi sat beside Miyo as they were watching Saori unite with her step parents and for Akashi, he was happy to savor that moment and it seems as though his sister is just delighted to see them as he is and Taiga asked, "What have you been up to, Akashi?"

"I've been doing okay, I guess. Just training by myself, taking care of Miyo and Saori and things like that." Akashi answered.

"Has he been behaving himself?" asked Tigress, turning to Miyo.

Miyo knew that question was coming and she rolled her eyes when she looked at Akashi and replied, "For the most part, he was behaving. But not too much well-behaved."

That didn't surprise Tigress the most after hearing the end result that Akashi was still immature, but proud at the same time that he's still training and being the best he can be and she said, "Well...that's good to hear."

"Has there been anything going on that we should know about?" asked Taiga.

Akashi knew that question was coming soon and he wasn't sure if he can answer that, especially in front of Tigress and he replied, "Nah, just the same old same old."

"Nothing at all?" asked Tigress.

"Nope." Akashi answered.

But soon enough, Max crept through the steps and sees Akashi talking to Tigress and Taiga...and that surprised him that he's in the same species and that caused him to get a little nervous and he slowly backs himself up until he accidentally sneezes. Tigress heard that sound from a mile away and asked, "What was that?"

"What was what?" asked Akashi.

"I heard someone sneeze." Tigress answered.

"I didn't hear anything." Akashi stated.

Max was immediately scared from the start and tried to keep himself low-key until Taiga turns around and sees the cub's tail showing and he stands up and heads where he is and he said, "Hello, there."

Max was too shy to show himself in front of Taiga and he comes towards the stairs and Tigress comes from behind and when she sees Max for the first time, she was stunned and somewhat leery of the boy and she asked, "Who's he?"

Akashi went towards the steps and he said, "Yeah...this is Maximus. I found him a few days ago."

"What is he doing in your house?" asked Tigress.

Max could tell he was definitely scared of Tigress because in his mind...he sees his birth mother in her based on the anger and intimidation look in her and he slowly backs away and Taiga said, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

Max wasn't quite too sure about that and he just backed away a little more and Taiga wanted to make sure he's okay and Tigress felt her patience growing shorter and shorter by the minute and suddenly, she comes closer to him and that made Max even more frightened than ever and he said, "Please leave me alone."

"Cub, I just want to know where you came from." Tigress stated, reaching her paw.

But when Tigress grabbed Max by the shoulder, the cub responded by swiping her hand and exclaimed, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Tigress was stunned to see this kid reacting this way and she asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"You're scaring him." Akashi answered, running towards her.

That was one quote that Tigress didn't take too well that she's scaring him and asked, "How am I scaring him?"

She turns back to Max and tries to reason with him, but all it did was make Max even more scared and Tigress grabbed him by the arm and the cub was resisting the whole time and as a result, Max bit her by the finger, causing Tigress to roar loudly and that was not something he'd like to hear and the look on Tigress' face caused him to run away as fast as he could and after that, Akashi remained silent throughout the aftermath and he could tell from Max's face that it was the same reaction when he got attacked by his birth mother.

"What was that all about?" asked Taiga.

Akashi cleared his throat and he said, "It's a very long story."

* * *

You'll find out more on what happened after on the next chapter!


	14. Making Their Track

Before we get any further between Max and the gang, let's check in on the savage wolves.

* * *

Chapter 14: Making their Track

On the other side of the forest, the savage wolves made their way to get the cub and make him their personal playmate and slave and they'll stop at nothing until they get what they want and that cub is precisely on top of that list and they're gonna get their hands on Akashi in case they stop him and they were not gonna hold back this time because they'll get Max one way or another.

Soon, the lead wolf smelled a scent that was deeply familiar and he followed the scent and right from the start, he knew the species scent from anywhere and he said, "Tiger scent. We're gonna follow the scent and see where it'll lead us."

"Think it'll be dangerous?" asked one of the wolf members.

The wolf member growled in exasperation after hearing that question and he whacked him straight on the head and said, "Idiot! We ain't scared of some tigers. We're just as tough as they are!"

"I was just asking." the wolf member stated.

"Now look...we're gonna keep going forward until we find where they it ends up." the lead wolf stated.

They all followed the leader as he followed the scent and 25 minutes later...they end up at Akashi's place and the lead wolf kept a safe distance and when he looked up at the window, he sees Akashi sitting there and that could mean one thing...

"This is it." the lead wolf whispered.

* * *

The action begins on the next chapter! You don't wanna miss this!


	15. Explanation

Before the action begins, Akashi explains how Max got to be in their house.

* * *

Chapter 15: Explanation

After that scenario that happened, Tigress felt a surge of utter confusion and ultimate anger over being bitten and swiped by this little white tiger cub and she asked, "Who and where did you get this little menace from?"

"He's not a menace. He's just a scared orphaned cub." Akashi replied.

Suddenly, the word 'orphan' came to mind and she could see that this kid was plucked out of the obscurity and though she still knows what it feels like to be an orphan, she was still seething over how this cub tackled her the way he did and she said, "He didn't have to attack me."

"Calm down, Tigress. I'm sure he has no intention of attacking you at all." Taiga responded.

And that stunned Tigress that he's actually defending this cub and she glared at him for a second, then turned to the ground and gave Taiga a second glance at him hinting that he was either serious or just joking and judging by the look in Taiga's face, he was definitely serious.

"You're starting to act like the whole thing didn't concern you." Tigress said, in disbelief.

"He must've seen you as a stranger and I think you might've intimidated him. A little bit." Taiga stated.

Tigress scoffs at this as Miyo wraps her paw with some shaolin wrap and she said to Akashi, "Wherever you found him, put him back where he belongs."

"I can't quite do that." Akashi answered.

"And why not? Shouldn't he be back with his real parents?" asked Tigress.

Akashi lowered his ears in response to that and he couldn't believe his step mother is acting this way towards the cub and said, "He's got nowhere else to go...and he has no parents."

"No parents?" asked Tigress.

Taiga blinked his eyes in response to that and said, "Explain this to me."

"Well...on my way home a few days ago, I saw him getting dragged by his own mother and I could hear him cry and pleading, but all she gave him in return was a slap in the face and some insults. She said that she wished that she never gave birth to him...which is kinda disturbing and disgusting for me to even hear coming out of his own mother and she threw him off of this hill and wished death on him...and left." Akashi answered.

Miyo got really disturbed after hearing how Max was left behind and it really disgusted Tigress and Taiga for showing that Max's birth mother could treat him so cruel and violently like that and Akashi continued saying, "So...I followed him to take him back home with me until those vicious wolves came in to use him as food and as their servant."

Saori covered her mouth in shock after hearing this and she turned to Taiga and asked, "What are slaves?"

"Slaves are people who get told what to do and the bad people owns these nice people and make them tend to their own will and if they don't do what they say...they get in big trouble." Taiga replied.

"I don't think Saori wants to know what they would really do." Akashi stated.

Taiga agreed with that concept because it'll be too big of an issue to reveal to her and seconds later, Max slowly walked downstairs and faced both Tigress and Taiga and he seemed really remorseful about what happened and he turned to Tigress with a nervous look on his face and he said, "Hello."

"What do you want?" Tigress asked, very rudely.

"I'm sorry I bit you and scratched you and for screaming at you." Max said, very meaningful.

Tigress looked at the cub and she replied, "Apology not accepted."

"Tigress!" Akashi exclaimed.

Taiga couldn't believe that Tigress didn't even accept a simple apology coming out of a little cub and he said, "Your apology is accepted on Tigress' behalf."

"I'm scared of strangers." Max stated.

Taiga felt the most sympathetic with the cub and told him to sit on his knees next to Saori and he said, "What's your name?"

"Maximus."

Taiga patted Max's head and also Saori's head as well and he sees the two of them as brother and sister almost and he said to Akashi, "Was there anyone else coming in to save the cub?"

"No. Just me." Akashi replied.

"What about his father?" asked Tigress.

"I have no dad. He's just as mean as my mom was." Max added.

All five of them were stunned to hear what Max just said and Miyo asked, "You mean...?"

Max was about to respond when those savage wolves burst in the door and took a look at Max and said, "You! You're mine!"

* * *

Now the action begins!


	16. The Savage Wolves Return

Just a little teaser before the action!

* * *

Chapter 16: The Savage Wolves Return

Akashi immediately stood up in high alert as they showed up and he looked at the lead wolf in the eye and immediately growled at him and said, "You again."

"We meet." the lead wolf snarled.

Max was shaking in fear and that gave away one of the wolves' attention and he came closer to the cub and he said, "Remember me?"

Max started whimpering right away and Taiga stood up and punched the wolf out and he grabs him by the neck and said, "Leave the cub alone."

"Look here...pussycat, we came for what we want and we ain't letting you stop us." the wolf member said.

Tigress came by and punched and threw him towards the wall and she said, "I'll be the judge of that."

Suddenly, three of the wolves came by and one of them said, "So...what's up, sweet cheeks?"

Tigress was highly offended by that line and clawed them in the faces and their butt cheeks as well and Taiga punched them down hard in her behalf and he said, "How disrespectful."

"I'll say."

The lead wolf growled and he said, "Enough! We came here for the cub and you ain't gonna stop us!"

"Never!" Akashi shouted.

* * *

The full action comes on the next chapter!


	17. Showdown

Full action in full effect mode!

* * *

Chapter 17: Showdown

Right from the start, Akashi immediately came over towards those wolves and punched them out of the house, but the wolves weren't giving up without a fight until they get what they want and they're gonna show zero mercy. Akashi and Tigress was gonna take them down themselves and to make sure that they'll never gonna lay a hand on Max.

"There ain't no way you'll stop us from getting the kid. He's our property." one wolf member stated.

"I have a million and one ways to stop you from getting this cub and most of those involve a tiger and my sword." Akashi said, in a very serious tone.

Back in the house, Miyo went upstairs to bring Max and Saori out of their sight and to keep them safe while Taiga comes outside to join Tigress and Akashi for this big wolf/tiger fight and the lead wolf stated, "We ain't leaving until we get the cub."

"You might as well walk out with nothing then." Tigress growled.

The lead wolf scoffed and asked, "What are you gonna do about it, kitty cat?"

That was so wrong on so many levels and it brought to the point where Tigress punched the lead wolf straight to the jaw and all the other wolves joined up and started fighting Akashi, Taiga and Tigress. But the three of them did not hold back as they fought harder than ever. Tigress punched, clawed, slugged and slammed a quarter of those wolves into the ground and just gave them a huge kick to the jaw, groin, nose, face and hindquarters.

Taiga held nothing back as some of the wolves cornered him, yet they were not ready for what Taiga was actually capable of doing...he used some of his powers to strike them down and aimed them right to the heart and chest and as a result, the wolves were vulnerable towards Taiga. They looked at him with the most questionable look the minute they stared at him.

"Now what are you gonna do about it?" asked Taiga, snarling.

Most of the wolves cornered Taiga and proceeded to attack him, but Taiga wasn't having it. He gladly pummeled them and threw them high in the air that he climbed towards a tree and kicked them all with the use of his feet and sent them flying out of there.

Meanwhile, Akashi took down all of the wolves in no time as he punched, kicked, slammed, bit, clawed and threw them down as hard as they could. The other savage wolves wasn't gonna let themselves get defeated by some teen pup and they were serious business...but so was Akashi. One of the wolf members said, "Face it...the boss is gonna get that kid and there ain't nothing you can do about it."

"Fillmore, you idiot! You ain't supposed to tell!" one member barked.

Once Akashi finally got that info, he broke out his sword and struck on Fillmore's chest, causing him to fall down and the other wolves looked terrified by what they just saw and the minute they turned to Akashi, they realized that he's gonna strike them next.

"Anyone else?" asked Akashi.

And soon, Tigress and Taiga were taking down these wolves like it was no tomorrow and the lead wolf brought himself to sneak inside the house to find where Max is and Akashi followed him from behind and he's gonna stop him before he finds Max.

"It's a good thing my clones are handling the other wolves." Akashi whispered.

The lead wolf walked up the steps to find Max and he went through every room in the house, eager to find the cub and he slowly went towards a few more rooms and no Max was seen in sight, but he wasn't gonna give up that easily until he finds him and soon...he burst into another room and saw Miyo in there...hinting some suspicion that she's hiding them somewhere.

Miyo looked completely frightened, but is willing to fight him off to keep Max safe and the lead wolf walked up towards her and asked, "Where is the cub?"

"There's no cub here." Miyo answered.

The lead wolf wasn't buying it and knew that she was lying through her teeth and said, "Don't give me that. I know you have him here!"

"And what if I did?" asked Miyo.

"I got no time to play games with you. WHERE IS THE DAMN CUB?!" the lead wolf screamed.

"I don't have him!" Miyo shouted back.

With that, the lead wolf felt the need to just attack her until she gives in, but he doesn't know that Akashi is right behind him, ready to strike him down and the lead wolf said, "Have it your way."

The lead wolf raises his dagger to stab Miyo, but he got stabbed in the end and fell down from his knees and into the ground with a sword on his back and Miyo was relieved to see that it was Akashi responsible for slaying the lead wolf and he asked, "You okay?"

"What kept you?" asked Miyo.

Both of them went towards each other and kissed each other on the lips very passionately and their arms around each other, neither of them letting go. After that, Akashi asked, "Are they okay?"

Miyo opened up the closet door and told Max and Saori to come out and once they did, they immediately got hugged and he felt very happy that they're okay, especially with Max. Max looked up and asked Akashi, "Did you do that?"

"Yep." Akashi replied.

"Why?"

"Because I wanna keep you safe from harm...and like I said, I'm gonna protect you no matter what." Akashi answered.

It feels as if Max is gonna be happy here with Akashi, Miyo and Saori around and for the first time ever, he feels absolutely safe and that he has a new family and a new life...something to look forward to.

* * *

Was that awesome action or what?! Stay tuned for more!


	18. The Worst is Over

And here's the aftermath of the whole thing.

* * *

Chapter 18: The Worst is Over

30 minutes pass by and after cleaning up some of the lead wolf's blood out of the floor, they were getting back to the visit and throughout that time, Max was still a little shy, but eventually loosened up a little bit and started being around Saori and Taiga more and as Taiga told a few stories, Max was definitely amazed by everything he heard and started looking up to him a little more. Tigress on the other hand, wasn't so thrilled about Max being around and sees this as him stealing all the attention.

"You really did all of that?" asked Saori.

Taiga nodded his head and it made Max really inspired and said, "I wish I was like you."

Taiga chuckled in response and he rubbed Max's head and said to him, "You're a special little boy, Max."

Max was surprised to hear this come from him and he has never heard that term before in his life and asked, "What's special?"

Now that surprised all of them except for Tigress and nobody had a clue as to why Max has never heard the word 'special' before and Akashi answered, "Special is you got something that no one else has or that they wish they had. And if someone is special, it's you."

"No, I'm not." Max replied.

"Oh, yes you are. I see something in you, Max. You may not know what it is now, but I know that you're worth something. You just have to believe it." Akashi answered.

That term wasn't sitting well with Tigress and she just couldn't believe how someone who's been through some stuff could label themselves special and it just seemed impossible, but she's starting to get a little bit envious towards the cub and Taiga noticed that right away and didn't want to cause a huge stir between them.

"So...what do we need to know about you, Max?" asked Taiga.

"About me?" asked Max.

* * *

Now we get to Max's backstory told in his own words.


	19. What We Don't Know About Max

And Max tells his entire backstory to Taiga and Tigress...

* * *

Chapter 19: What We Don't Know About Max

Max wasn't sure if he could actually tell them everything about him and it was like fear took over him because he doesn't want to talk about what had happened between him and his birth parents, but he feels Akashi's paw on his shoulder, giving him a nod to tell him it's okay. The cub was so young; heck too young to even talk about this, but he was more than willing to tell them his story...no matter how much it hurts him or scares him.

"Okay..." Max answered.

"Trust us...we won't judge you." Miyo said, gently.

Max took a deep breath as he looked at everyone and he even noticed Saori sitting right beside him, holding his paw for support and it gave him a little bit of strength to tell everyone his story and most of them were prepared for what will be the core feeling of Max's little life.

"See, my mom and my dad...they weren't really getting along with each other and when I was born, my mom looked at me and stated me as a curse in her life; that I was born. She gave birth to like...7 cubs and I guess I was the seventh one. My birth father named me Maximus because he looks at me like I'm a bad person. My parents hated being parents because they had to deal with us and they always fight all the time. One minute they hate each other and the next minute, they'd kiss...while they're still mad. Even when I'm around, my parents hated me and my father said that I'll be a nuisance like my mom and wishes that he'd strike an arrow on my back to relieve all the stress he has. I've been beaten by my dad, clawed, thrown across the stairs and the wall, choked, pinned and he held his sword to my neck...as punishment for being born." Max explained.

That sounded awful for them to hear coming from a 5-year old and Miyo was greatly saddened and also outraged that his father would do something like that to a poor, innocent cub who did nothing to deserve it, but that was just the beginning of this tale.

"My dad was sent to jail and got arrested for killing and torturing girls all over and it's just me and my mom...the only one left behind while the six siblings headed for foster care. After they left, I was the target of my mom's anger and violence; she wouldn't even share me her food and just let me starve. Even if I didn't do something wrong, she would come after me and attack me...just for no reason. And just last year...she touched me. She touched my tail, butt, legs, back...and a few places that shouldn't be touched." Max answered.

Suddenly, that particular part sent shockwaves over everyone and they were silent as to how a young cub could endure such torture like this and Akashi's only reaction was anger and ultimate sorrow for this little boy because he could not understand why he would be taken advantaged of by the hands of someone that's sworn to protect and take care of.

"I still don't understand why she'd do that to me. What did I do to make her feel that way?" asked Max, on the verge of breaking down in tears.

Soon enough, Tigress' features softened as she sees a couple of tears come down on Max's face after hearing this story and she just couldn't help but feel sorry for the cub and began regretting losing her temper in front of him. Max went on to say, "Even after that, my mom still treats me like I'm worthless and that I'll never amount to anything and she continued beating me, locked me in a closet for 5 hours until she feels like it, whipped me...she even tied me to a chain in her bed to torture me again. And that's when she abandoned me and left me behind because she sees my dad's face in me...almost as if I did something to her. What have I done to deserve all of this?"

Miyo quivered her lips after hearing every part of Max's story and the minute that Max released the first tear coming out of his eye, Akashi comes over to him and gives him a huge hug and said, "You've done nothing to deserve it, Max. Nobody should hurt a pure, innocent boy like you."

Saori was in tears as well after hearing what Max had to suffer and she wanted nothing more than to be there for him whenever he feels sad and thought to herself, 'I wanna help Max in anyway I can.'

Miyo was speechless as she looked at Max and the only thing she could say was, "You poor cub."

* * *

Now that Max told his story...maybe he can try to heal himself. Stay tuned!


	20. Reactions

And the reactions Max got after sharing that story.

* * *

Chapter 20: Reactions

After Max finished telling the story, Akashi commended him for sharing that story with them and though he was a mess, he could see that Max had the courage to tell that story and even more than that, it showed that he had enough strength to share his story to everyone and with proof of how much damage his mother and father caused him, he rose his shirt up to reveal those scars and claw marks he's had before and it just stunned everyone...especially Taiga and Tigress. Neither of them could even react or find the words to describe all of this, but they knew that it's just disturbing for a young child to go through that.

For Akashi, having those scars all over parts of his body wasn't anything new to him, but he never thought it'd happen to a 5 year old like that...especially to his own parents and it was like what he went through with Dotsu when he was younger and was heading the dark path he was forced to take.

"Thank you, Max...for sharing your story." Akashi stated.

"It takes true strength for you to do that...tell your story the way you told us and you didn't hold back." Miyo added.

Saori got up and gave Max a huge hug and said, "I wanna be there for you, Max. Like...if you want to talk to me or whatever you want, I'm here."

It was actually very nice for Saori to do that for Max and it made him feel so happy inside that Saori will be the one he can always rely on and Akashi said, "So will I."

"And me too." Miyo agreed.

Max definitely feels comforted and safe in their presence and there's nothing he wouldn't want more than anything else in the world other than feel like he's a part of the family with them. He looks at everyone and said, "Thank you."

With that, Max walks back upstairs to get some rest and while he was gone, everyone felt a sense of empathy towards him after that story and Akashi lets out a deep sigh and said, "How could a mother do something like that to her own cub?"

"It just makes me so angry that children are defenseless and by the hands of their own mother or father too...why would parents do that?" asked Miyo, almost in the verge of outrage.

"This is what happens when you choose your hormones over responsibility." Akashi stated.

Tigress agreed with Akashi's logic and she said to him, "Let's hope you don't do anything like that."

"I would never do anything like that to my own cub. I'd keep them safe, secure and loved at the same time. The fact that Max suffered through it...it makes what I've been through seem smaller. But I'm actually surprised that he can actually tell us what he went through and survived through it all." Akashi added.

Taiga blinked his eyes and he said, "You think maybe I can come around every once and a while to hang with him? You know...he kinda needs a good father figure to grow up with."

And it was like a light bulb went off on Akashi's head and he said, "That's an awesome idea. That way, Max will be around a positive role model in the same species. And I can still be his big wolf brother."

Taiga agreed with this idea while Tigress was still lost in her mind on how Max overcame this whole thing and the fact that he told it in front of everyone shows that he's got this hidden strength that he has and thought to herself, 'He's much stronger than me.'

* * *

And it hit a very personal memory for Akashi. Stay tuned to find out!


	21. Same Scars

And believe it or not...Max isn't the only one who shares some deep scars from his past.

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Chapter 21: Same Scars

Mere hours have passed by and after Taiga and Tigress were gone, Akashi felt it was best to share something with Max that he's been hiding for a long time and one that he's still haunted by every single day of his life and he made his way upstairs and into his room and saw him sleeping. The very sight of the cub sleeping made Akashi show a little softer side of him and they're very muck alike when it comes to who suffered the most. After hearing Max's story, Akashi could relate so easily towards him and it's like he's seeing himself in the tiger cub a little more.

He comes in there and sits on the side of the bed and just looks at Max's closed eyes and he places his paw on his shoulder and that made Max slowly wake up and sees Akashi there and he lets out a big yawn as he stretched his paws and said, "Hi, Akashi."

"Hey, Max. You okay?" asked Akashi.

Max nodded his head and he replied, "Yeah. I'm okay."

The cub sat up as he next to Akashi and both of them only stared at each other for a few moments until Akashi broke the silence and said, "That was really brave of you...to tell your story like you did. It takes courage."

"Courage? What's that?" asked Max.

"It's where you do something that you're scared of doing and you end up doing it because it's the right thing to do. It just shows how strong you really are and I completely admire you for that." Akashi added.

"Thank you...I think." Max replied.

Akashi nodded his head at this and he thought of Max's scars all over his body and it made it easier for him to relate and he said, "You're not the only one that carries a lot of scars."

"I'm not?" asked Max, a little confused.

"No. Believe it or not...I have the same scars you have and I still carry them with me." Akashi answered.

With that, Max sat on the other side of the bed next to Akashi, in which the young wolf stands up in front of him, lifted his shirt up and showed Max all the scars he has all over him and that stunned Max to see how many scars he has all over and he was just silent throughout and Akashi removed his shirt and Max said, "Did they hurt?"

"A lot. The reason why I showed you all of those scars is that I suffered endless torture with my stepfather and for all the fights that I've been through before. When I was a little younger, I've been a thief and streetfighter and I thought that it was all survival...until my stepfather took it too far. Because I never wanted anything to do with him, he gave me all of those scars." Akashi replied.

"What did you do?" asked Max.

"My stepfather was the reason why I suffered so much. So...I fought back and he's gone." Akashi added.

"Is he still...?" asked Max.

"No. He's not alive anymore. I could never forgive him for what he put me through." Akashi stated, clenching his fist.

Max grew a little worried about seeing Akashi angry and he nuzzled him very quickly, causing Akashi to soften up and in return, Akashi patted him and hugged him tightly with tears streaming down his eyes and Akashi said, "Max...I don't want you to suffer the same way I suffered and end up having more of those scars like I have. I want you to be happy, loved, safe and protected and I will do my best to make sure you have a great life...one that you'll always be happy."

"You promise?" asked Max.

With a hint of conviction and misty eyes, Akashi whispered, "I promise."

* * *

A growing bond between a wolf and a tiger has surfaced. Stay tuned for more!


	22. Promise Fulfilled

This chapter takes place one year after Max was taken in by Akashi and Miyo and we see him in a lighter mood.

* * *

Chapter 22: Promise Fulfilled

One year later

Akashi was on the backyard doing some training and he gets on his basic stance to aim at his opponent and he looks at his opponent and said, "Are you ready?"

Just then...his opponent was a six year old cub and he got on the same stance and replied, "I am so ready...to kick your butt."

Akashi scoffs at that comment and he was determined to prove him wrong and he leaps in the air and attacks him while the cub dodges and blocks all of Akashi's moves and while he keeps fighting, the cub makes every single move he makes to tackle Akashi in every which way possible, including pouncing on him and tripping his leg.

As Akashi fell down, he gets himself back up again and immediately goes to attack him and soon, he was ready to make the next move, but finds that he already left. Akashi scratched his head when he was the only one around and he said, "Max? Where are you?"

Akashi walks around parts of the village to search for Max, but he's totally unaware that Max is standing on a tree branch, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike him and he slowly crouches down on all fours and as he sees Akashi stop on one spot, in comes the perfect opportunity and he jumps out of there and pounces him to the ground and pins him down.

Akashi was shocked to learn that he was pounced on and Max said, "Boo."

"Very clever, Max. But are you strong enough...to get wrestled?" Akashi asked, before wrestling him and tickling him.

Max started giggling as soon as he got tickled by Akashi and it was a little bit unorthodox on their training, but these two are masters of having fun at the same time and they couldn't believe that it's been a year since Max was living with Akashi and he's starting to enjoy every minute of it and Max said, "I give! I give!"

Just then, Akashi got off him and Max was still laughing and they both got up and Akashi told him, "You're doing really well, Max."

"Thanks, Akashi." Max replied.

Suddenly, Akashi's stomach started growling and he needed an appetite after all this training and he said, "I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too." Max replied.

Akashi chuckled softly and he allowed Max to climb on his back and they made their way inside the house to get some lunch and when they came in, Miyo sees the two of them together and it was a sweet thing to see that these two are like brothers and it really showed and she said, "Hello, boys."

"Hi, Miyo." Max and Akashi replied.

"You're just in time for lunch." Miyo said.

Before long, both Max and Akashi ate some noodles and egg rolls and they were joined by Miyo and Saori and Max sees these guys as his family and is really happy to be a part of it and though it's been a year since he was orphaned, good things are definitely coming and Akashi fulfilled that promise and hopes that moment will stick with him forever.

* * *

Was that awesome or what? Max is now six years of age and his life is filled with happiness and fun. All thanks to Akashi. Stay tuned for part 2 of Raising Maximus! Until then, AniUniverse says thank you guys!


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